Can last years City Ground heroics be repeated?

Nottingham Forest v Derby County

Coca Cola Championship

The City Ground, Nottingham

Saturday 29th August 2009, 13:00pm

Nottingham Forest:

Current League Position: 20th

Leading Scorer: Blackstock 1c/1l

Manager: Billy Davies

Kit home: Red Shirt/White shorts

Kit away: White Shirt/red shorts

Last game: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Middlesbrough (aet)

Quotes from the manager:

Following the Middlesbrough game from the BBC;

"The fitness was excellent in extra-time. It's the energy and the attitude of this team, and the fitness levels, there's no doubt about they can only get better and better".

"I can't praise this team enough. They're showing fantastic spirit and attitude; they're a wonderful group of players".

"I just keep urging everyone, just be patient and see where we are at the end of the season."

From The Derby Telegraph on Forest;

"Very shortly, one or two teams will suffer big losses at the hands of this team; we should be sitting here with more points. Our performances have deserved more points."

Current Trees Squad:

No. Position. Player

1 Keeper Lee Camp (vice-captain)

2 Defender James Perch

4 Defender Luke Chambers

5 Defender Wes Morgan

6 Defender Kelvin Wilson

7 Midfield Paul Anderson

8 Midfield Lewis McGugan

9 Striker Dele Adebola

10 Striker Robert Earnshaw

11 Striker Nathan Tyson

12 Midfield Garath McCleary

14 Striker Joe Garner

15 Midfield Chris Cohen

16 Defender Chris Gunter

17 Striker David McGoldrick

18 Midfield Paul McKenna (team captain)

19 Midfield Guy Moussi

20 Midfield Arron Davies

21 Keeper Paul Smith

23 Striker Dexter Blackstock

28 Midfield Radoslaw Majewski (on loan from Polonia Warsaw)

29 Defender Julian Bennett

33 Defender Joel Lynch  Late fitness test

35 Defender Aaron Mitchell

39 Defender Jordan Fairclough

The Rams:

Quotes from the manager:

Following the Plymouth game from the BBC;

"I thought we deserved to win on the balance of play. We were a little bit tentative early on for some reason but when we got going, we dominated possession".

"The two centre-halves were a threat and we put good balls into the box and looked pretty dangerous from set plays. I thought we were dangerous from corners and free-kicks against a side that are good themselves at set-pieces."

From the Derby Telegraph on Nottingham Forest;

"I'm sure they'll be a little bit more determined than normal because of the results we got there last season and also the fact they are looking for their first League win of the season."

Current Rams Squad:

No. Position. Player    

1 Keeper Stephen Bywater     

2 Defender Paul Connolly (captain)

3 Defender James McEveley    

4 Midfield Paul Green  

5 Defender Miles Addison (vice-captain)  

6 Defender Dean Leacock      

7 Midfield Lee Croft   

8 Midfield Robbie Savage     

9 Striker Rob Hulse          

10 Midfield Kris Commons     

11 Midfield Gary Teale

12 Striker Chris Porter       Injured

13 Keeper Saul Deeney  

14 Defender Shaun Barker     

15 Striker Luke Varney

16 Midfield Stephen Pearson  

17 Defender Jake Buxton      

18 Midfield Ben Pringle      

19 Midfield Giles Barnes      Injured

20 Midfield Steve Davies      Injured

21 Midfield Dean Moxey

22 Midfield Arnaud Mendy

-- Striker Paul Dickov

What the Bookies think:

Home Win: 6/5

Draw: 21/10

Away win: 15/8

First Scorer: David McGoldrick, Robert Earnshaw 11/2, Rob Hulse 13/2.

Information for travelling fans:

Driving: Take Brian Clough Way (the A52) towards Nottingham. Stay on the A52 into Nottingham following signs for Grantham until you see signs for A6011 into Nottingham – the ground is off the A6011.

The train is usually the best option but reports suggest that a replacement bus service may operate for part of the route so it’s probably best to avoid it.

Parking: The best place to park is Victoria Embankment near the cricket ground. Footballgroundguide.com reports it as costing £3. There is street parking to be had around Trent Bridge but you need to get there early.

Drinking: It’s all home fans only around the ground and given the nature of the game and the early kick off, it’s probably wise to avoid the city centre.

Last season, the Wheeler Bar on Meadow Lane was open for pre-match drinks and parking. Worth giving them a ring to check it out.

Mick’s Prediction:

Two wins and cheated out of a third last season – you’d expect confidence to be high in the Rams dressing room, I’m erring on the side of caution. This Nottingham Forest team is better than last years – even though the results haven’t gone their way.

Apart from perhaps the first 35 minutes of the Peterborough game, the Rams have looked unconvincing – the defence in particular. At the moment, our two first choice centre halves are sitting on the bench or playing reserve games. Whereas Jake & Miles have performed okay so far, they aren’t great. We need our first choice centre halves to be starting.

In midfield, we miss Paul Green when he’s not fit. Livermore looked lively last week but I got the impression he was more attack minded and not used to holding the play up. Some of his balls through looked good but he needs to remember that Teale & Hulse are not Defoe & Keane!

One suggestion I’ve heard is to push Addison into Midfield to support Savage and Pearson – though I’d be inclined to drop Pearson who again is not offering much from midfield.

Either way it’s interesting to note Billy Davies is still getting his excuses in early and making his bizarre statements to the press (ten year contracts etc.). I laughed when the Preston fans warned us of his antics, I’m laughing again now it’s Forest.

Probable team:

Bywater, Connolly, Buxton, Addison, Moxey, Pearson, Savage, Livermore, Teale, Croft, Hulse

Subs: Deeney, Barker, Leacock, Pringle, Commons, Green, Dickov.

Prediction: 

Notts Forest 1-2 Derby County

Photo: Action Images

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